Berkeley
Berkeley is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Berkeley Bell (1907–1967), American male tennis player Berkeley Breathed, American cartoonist Berkeley L.
Meaning & Origin of Berkeley
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Berkeley is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Berkeley Bell (1907–1967), American male tennis player Berkeley Breathed, American cartoonist Berkeley L.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Berkeley
As a girl name
Berkeley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1923, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2017: 119 births, good for #1,761 nationwide. About 45% of every Berkeley on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Berkeley ranks #2,528 for girls with 70 births, falling sharply (-27%). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Berkeley as a boy name dates back to 1913, when 6 babies received it. 2011 was its biggest year on record, with 21 newborns named Berkeley — #4,508 in the national rankings. As of 2026, Berkeley ranks #7,488 for boys with 8 births, falling sharply (-30%). All told, over 907 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Berkeley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Berkeley is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Berkeley
What does the name Berkeley mean?
How popular is Berkeley in 2026?
When was Berkeley most popular?
In which U.S. states is Berkeley most popular?
Is Berkeley a unisex name?
What names go well with Berkeley?
About the name Berkeley
Berkeley is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1923 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Berkeley's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #1,761. Use the chart and map above to compare Berkeley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2017 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.